Luminous number plate and other luminous signs



June 8, 1937. w. c. M KNIGHT 2,033,079

LUMINOUS NUMBER PLATE AND OTHER LUMINOUS SIGNS Filed Oct. 26, 1936 arrow/ Patented June 8, 1937 LUMINOUS NUMBER PLATE AND OTHER LUMINOUS SIGNS William Coleraine McKnight, Glasgow, Scotland Application October 26, 1936, Serial No. 107,713 In Great Britain September 30, 1935 1 Claim. (01. 40133) This invention relates to luminous number plates and other luminous signs provided with letters, numerals and/or other configurations. The invention is especially applicable to number 5 plates for motor vehicles but is not confined to such application, being applicable to luminous signs in general.

An object of the invention is to provide a sign enclosing a source of light and having a face The number plate shown is of standard form, consisting of a metal face plate to which are secured (by riveting, welding or otherwise) stripform metal letters I! and numerals l2. The face plate I0 is or may be blackened or dark-coloured (by enamelling or otherwise) and the configurations Ii, l2 are or may be light-coloured (also by enamelling-or otherwise, or by making them of a whitish-coloured metalsuch as aluminium 10 provided with strips constituting configurations or of an electroplated A multlpllfllty 10 i h are perforated t holes through h h of holes l3 are drilled through the configurations the light shines. Another object of the invention and face p these holes as shownbemg spa is to provide holes as aforesaid which are so closely tog and arranged margmally, In t small that mud is more or less completely prelines, round the strips forming the configurations H 5 vented from entering the sign and fouling its to delineate the shapes thereof. The holes It interior and that the legibility of the configuraare very small, holes of about one-sixteenth or tions in daylight isnot affected. Another object three thirty-seconds of an inch in diameter of the invention is to arrange the holes in close having been found satisfactory, and holes of such spacing along the margins of the strips to ensure a size I regard as being most advantageous, althat the holes produce sharply delineated lumithough slightly differently sized holes could be nous symbols which approximate closely to the made. Moreover, the holes are counter-sunk at shapes of the respective configurations and which the back of the plate; and the counter-sinking are clearly visible in darkness at a reasonable may extend throughout the entire depth of the distance. Yet another object of the invention holes. is to countersink the holes at the back of the face The number plate structure comprises a holso that the rays of light passing to and through low metal container which is closed on top, at the holes are concentrated and in addition the the bottom, at both sides and at the rear leaving holes are rendered more suitable for cleaning. an open front adapted to receive the number As applied to the number plates of motor plate. The open front is bounded by upper and vehicles, the sign is fronted by a single face plate lower grooved portions I4, I5 in which the plate having the perforated configurations, the plate I0 is a sliding fit, by an end grooved. portion l6 being of standard form and being a sliding fit in in which the adjacent end of the plate [0 fits a supporting hollow structure. By standard when the plate is slid fully home, and by a deform is meant the long rectangular form tachable grooved part I! which is attachable by customarily given to the number plates of motor nuts l8 to the structure in order to lock the plate 35 vehicles. I0 in place. Thus the number plate can be An advantage of a sign according to the invenreadily slid into and locked in place at the front tion is that the face, including the symbols thereof the structure and can be removed at will. on, can be composed wholly of metal or wood or The top IQ of the number plate structure is other relatively strong opaque material, need for provided internally of the structure with several 40 glass or other transparent or translucent material holders 20 for electric-light bulbs 2|, a cable for being entirely obviated. the supply of electricity being denoted by 22.

The invention will now be described by way The rear 23 of the number plate structure may of example with reference to the accompanying be enamelled white, or it may be polished, so as drawing, in which a number-plate structure emto reflect light as brightly as practicable to 45 bodying the invention is illustrated. wards the holes 13 with which the number plate Fig. 1 of the drawing is an elevation of the is perforated. entire structure. In the drawing, no provision has been shown Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section, Fig. 3 a section for attaching the structure to the vehicle; but

viewed in the same direction as Fig. 1 and Fig. it will be readily understood that any suitable 50 4 a plan, partly in section, of the structure with brackets or other attachment devices may be the number plate proper removed. provided on the structure according to require- Fig. 5 is a vertical section, drawn to a larger ments, or provision may be made for attaching scale, of the number plate, showing holes through the rear 23 by screws or otherwise to a bracket one of the configurations provided thereon. or other fixture on the vehicle. 55

Preferably, in the interests of compactness, where the structure is intended for use as a rear number plate, the structure is provided on top with a holder (not shown) for the usual rear electric light bulb, the cable 22 being electrically connected to such a holder.

The cable 22 has been shown broken-off at the exterior of the structure, but it will be clear that the cable would form part of the ordinary electric lighting system of the vehicle, or could be adapted for convenient connection to said system.

In use of the number plate structure, when the lights 2| are on, the interior of the structure is brightly illuminated, with the result that in darkness the holes l3 shine brightly as spots of light disposed throughout areas of much the same shapes as the symbols II, l2 themselves, so that in effect clearly visible symbols are produced.

Various modifications of a constructional nature may be made without departing from the scope of the claim hereinafter set forth. For example, the rear wall of the structure may be so inclined and the source of light so arranged that rays of light therefrom are reflected directly through the holes With which the configurations are perforated roughly in the direction in which the luminous symbols would ordinarily be viewed. Further, instead of providing several electric bulbs a single tube (such as a neon tube) could be provided, so that the light would be more uniformly diffused and distributed behind the configurations. The light may be white or of any other suitable colour. The configurations need not be made separately from the face plate, but may be integral parts thereof, it being simply requisite that the strips forming them stand distinctly in relief against the back-ground portions of the plate; for example, the configurations may be formed by embossing or pressing-out strips on the plate.

I claim- An illuminated sign for vehicles comprising a casing having a light reflecting back wall and a front wall having an opening adapted to receive a license number plate, indicia bearing elements on said plate having small closely spaced apertures extending along the marginal edges of the indicia, corresponding apertures in the number plate flaring inwardly from the holes in the indicia, a source of light in said casing adapted to be reflected from the back wall to the flared openings in the plate toconcentrate the rays through the indicia openings and emit therefrom well defined configurations of the indicia.

WILLIAM COLERAINE MCKNIGHT. 

